INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Kathmandu, December 21
The National Park and Wildlife Conservation (Fifth Amendment) Rules recently published in the Nepal Gazette stipulate
a provision for granting permission to any person or entity for commercial farming and reproduction of various wild mammals, reptiles and
amphibians.
Musk deer, swamp deer, chital, hug deer, muntjac, nilgai, hare, porcupine and wild boar are the wild mammals a person or entity
Under reptiles, all its species except python shall be allowed to be kept for commercial and reproductive purposes
Amphibians such as frog and turtles can be kept for the purpose.
The amendment to the rules also allows any person or entity to keep
birds such as peafowl, pheasant, luinche, partridge (titra), chukar, junglefowl, dove, mynah, parrot, piura, snow partridge and quail
&Any person or entity willing to keep these wild animals and birds shall submit an application, accompanied by a detailed work plan, to the
Department of National Park and Wildlife Conservation,& states Rule 36b
If a nine-member technical committee headed by deputy director general of the DoNPWC deems the work plan reasonable and meets all prescribed
criteria, it shall recommend to the DoNPWC for approval.
&The DoNPWC shall decide whether or not to issue a licence on the basis of the
recommendation made by the committee,& it reads
If a person or entity obtains a licence, the DoNPWC shall provide seed animals or birds to the licencee concerned after charging prescribed
All expenses incurred for catching the wild animals or birds shall also be borne by the licencee.
The licencee may also import wild animals
other than endangered ones from foreign countries, obtaining prior approval from the DoNPWC
&The licencee may sell or export second generation of reproduced wild animals and birds or products made of their body parts by setting out
Its details shall be submitted to the DoNPWC on a monthly basis,& it states
However, no licencee shall kill the seed animals or birds.
The new provisions allow the licencee to commercially exhibit animals or birds by
obtaining permission of the DoNPWC
Other provisions related to minimum infrastructure, terms and conditions, and seed animals or birds for their commercial farming and
reproduction shall be as approved by the Ministry of Forests and Environment
If the licencee commits any punishable offence and does not abide by the terms and conditions set down in the existing laws and rules, a
competent officer having jurisdiction to hear such case may issue an order to suspend the licence or permit.
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